QT 18 Jul 11, Listen the first time to correction before it is too late

Jer 26:1-3, 16-19 (NIV) Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: 2 "This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard of the Lord's house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. 3 Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done.

...

16 Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God."

17 Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, 18 "Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, 'This is what the Lord Almighty says:

"'Zion will be plowed like a field,

Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,

the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.'

19 "Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah fear the Lord and seek his favor? And did not the Lord relent, so that he did not bring the disaster he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!"

NOTE: In chronology, this prophecy must appear before the breaking of the pottery.  Jewish culture grouped items by theme more so than by chronology as is done in the west.  So, at the beginning, or at least early in Jehoiakim's reign (26:1), God did offer the people a chance to repent (26:3).  And while the majority of people wanted to put Jeremiah to death (as was done to Uriah, son of Shemaiah, for the same prophecy, Jer 26:20-23), there were a few elders who recognized that Jeremiah's prophecy, while treason-ness in nature, was very possible correct.  At his point, there is still some hope.  I think what turns ugly is after the broken pottery, when the finality of the decision is revealed, that even those who might have supported could not take the answer of no hope.

We don't like bad news.  We don't like being told that what we are doing is wrong.  We don't like to be corrected.  It is our sin nature and pride that rebels against good.  But if we don't listen when God speaks gently, there is always the possibility that we will reach the point of no return, when we wished we had listened to God but did not.  God keep my heart sensitive to correction.  Protect me from my own pride.